Mohammad Hafeez: “I have great respect for Usman Khan’s talent, but he is not part of Pakistan’s system”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan team director and interim head coach Mohammad Hafeez said he has “great respect” for fast rising batsman Usman Khan, but pointed out that he “is not part of Pakistan’s system” and was not selected based on his performances in domestic cricket.
Usman switched his allegiance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Pakistan after the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 430 runs in seven matches for the Multan Sultans, which included two centuries and two fifties, at an average of 107.50 and a strike-rate of 164.12.
His brilliant batting in PSL 9 earned him his maiden call-up to the Pakistan team for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, against whom he made 59 runs in five games at an average of 14.75 and a strike-rate of 122.91.
For Hafeez, though, Usman’s inclusion in the team felt wrong as he questioned how all the domestic players in Pakistan must feel after watching the 28-year-old walk right into the national team without playing any domestic cricket.
“I have great respect for Usman Khan’s talent, but he is not part of Pakistan’s system. How will you motivate thousands of cricketers in the domestic circuit who work day and night and play domestic cricket when your selection criteria is not based on domestic cricket performance? That’s why I tweeted that after the inclusion of these three players (Usman Khan, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim), you have killed your domestic cricket,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
The T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand finished as a 2-2 draw.
Next up for Pakistan will be a three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14.
After that, they will play four T20Is against England from May 22 to May 30.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan